Morgan Sindall Construction has completed a new £5 million, two-storey facility at the Fordway Centre short stay school in Stanwell, Surrey.

The project was procured through the Southern Construction Framework (SCF) on behalf of Surrey County Council (SCC) and delivered by Morgan Sindall’s Southern Home Counties business, ready for the summer term.

The new building includes four classrooms, a dedicated reception, group rooms, calm spaces, an activity room, staff areas, and a holistic kitchen that also serves as a community space for pupils. Externally, the project features a playground and a multi-use games area (MUGA).

Working with architects Holmes Miller, the design provides flexible spaces to support the school's teaching and support staff in meeting the individual needs of pupils aged 6-11, helping them progress towards mainstream education where appropriate.

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Guy Hannell, Morgan Sindall Construction's Southern Home Counties Area Director, said: "It's been an absolute pleasure to celebrate our delivery of the Fordway Centre with Surrey County Council, teachers, and pupils. This project is incredibly beneficial for Surrey's community, supporting the next generation with specialised facilities that are tailored to the needs of SEN pupils and pupils with additional learning requirements.

"We've thoroughly enjoyed continuing our relationship with Surrey County Council throughout this project and aligning with their net zero carbon in operation goals to deliver Fordway's new building. We look forward to seeing pupils and the centre's staff enjoy the new educational environment that’s been created."

Sustainability has been a key focus throughout the project. The building incorporates solar PV panels, air source heat pumps for efficient heating and hot water, and a Streif closed panel structural timber system for high energy efficiency. The project's carbon footprint was reduced by 23.2 tonnes of CO2, calculated using their independently accredited CarboniCa tool, supported by optimised foundation design following additional ground investigations and the use of concrete containing ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) instead of Ordinary Portland Cement.

As part of Morgan Sindall's commitment to maximising the social value generated through its projects, the project team offered the local community opportunities to train and gain new skills throughout construction. The project team supported hosting six Building Services students from Brooklands College for a week-long placement each, and seven local apprentices were supported on the project totalling over 79 apprentice training weeks.